ThunderCats began in the ’80s and really clawed their way into the hearts and minds of young children, then they tried to roar back in 2011, hoping and expecting to milk the same craze they enjoyed three decades prior. The original 1985 ThunderCats ran for four seasons (130 episodes in all) and was a textbook example of the era’s toy-driven animated series industry. In those days, the show’s adventure-of-the-week format also served as a 22-minute toy commercial for the toys. On the screen, Lion-O and crew battled evil, which in turn enticed kids to beg for action figures, vehicles, and playsets. It was cool, you see, and kids wanted to show off the action figures and the toys of the heroes they were watching.
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